Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by. (Psalm 57:1)
Understanding when and why this psalm was written (Saul lay sleeping in a cave unaware of David’s presence), it is interesting that David prayed, “Be merciful to me, O God.” At that particular moment, it was Saul who was in danger, not David. Nevertheless, David regarded this situation as one that required God’s assistance and mercy. Perhaps it was that, as noted in the previous devotion, David relied upon God for help to resist the temptation to take the life of the man who had persecuted him so ruthlessly. It could also be that the prayer had a double meaning: “Help me by giving me the moral strength not to kill others and by not allowing others to kill me!”
Considering this situation just on the surface, David was taking a huge risk when he opted not to slay Saul. His men, in fact, urged him to take advantage of the opportunity, interpreting it as the Lord’s doing. Perhaps in that regard they were right; maybe the Lord did orchestrate the situation but not for the outcome they would have preferred. No, God wanted something else from His servant, the man after God’s own heart. As it turned out, cutting off a section of Saul’s garment troubled David: Afterwards his heart troubled him and he said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him” (1 Samuel 24:5-6). In refusing to take Saul’s life, he acknowledged that the king was anointed of the Lord which, in turn, meant that the Lord alone was authorized to remove Saul from his throne. David would not take such a thing into his own hands.
Furthermore — and this is the most important point — David understood that killing Saul would not secure his life; only God could provide that kind of safety. By refusing to slay Saul, David demonstrated that the security man can provide is limited and fleeting. Rather, David determined to place his life in God’s Hands saying, “My soul trusts in You.” It was not the shadows of a remote cave that David found solace in but the refuge and security that could only be found in the shadow of His wings! And so it is with us: God’s Presence in our lives is the only surety for protection and provision. Therefore when we find ourselves faced with adversity and calamities, we should not trust in our own strength or the counsel of frail men but should place our very lives in the hands of God. Until these calamities pass by, He is our refuge and strength; He alone will keep us until the day of deliverance.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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